Rising Stars 2018 - the final ten: Moira Nisbet

03/05/2018

As they fight for your votes, each of our Rising Stars finalists has been asked to blog about housing and how they would use winning the competition to the benefit of the sector. Here Moira Nisbet puts forward her case.

I’ve truly loved being part of the Rising Stars competition. I have learned so much, gained so many skills and built my confidence but the big thing I’ve learned is that it’s difficult to talk about yourself!

Luckily, it’s must easier to talk about how much working in housing matters to me.

2018 is going to be my year; I am due to complete my MSc in Housing which will be the culmination of four years part-time study. My studies have given me a strong foundation to help me excel in my role while given me the confidence and skills to be able to challenge the normal and provide valuable insight into current thinking.

Currently, I am working on a number of housing projects including supporting the development of 750 new homes being built within the Inverclyde area. One project is the regeneration of the Slaemuir area of Port Glasgow. This involves the demolition of properties in a well-established community and the building of replacement modern homes. I feel the title of Rising Star would be a great way to show my passion for community development as regeneration work is unlike any other in that it requires a special kind of passion and commitment. It is a job that is at once challenging and humbling, maddeningly frustrating but equally rewarding.

Working with a diverse range of customers I have come to appreciate all over again the innate goodness of the community, their resourcefulness and resiliency, and, above all, their cheerfulness.

Like any young professional it was difficult, at first, to realise what career pathway to take, but in my first job I realised I had a natural passion for public sector housing, realising that a home need is more than just bricks and mortar, it can change lives.

I almost gave up several times before getting to where I am now. Or, at least I felt like giving up, but in my heart, I knew that I couldn’t. The last few years have been a tremendous journey: filled with trial and error. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to learn and for the opportunities I have been presented.

Not only will this raise my profile in the housing sector, it will also raise the profile of my employer who has supported me on this journey.

Its not only my employer who is supporting me but our customers have also been very eager to encourage me. I have had outstanding testimonials, news articles and magazines praising my success on projects and these real-life stories help me fight to reach my true potential and believe in myself.

One of the key factors in my job role is communications. Building trust with communities and external agencies is critical to the delivery of success for my customers.

River Clyde Homes’ values are:

Every Customer Happy

Every Home Love

Every Opportunity Taken

Every Penny Counts

Every Person Positive

Every day I work I try to live these values as I believe they are the core to success.

If I was to win the award, I would use it a platform to share my knowledge and experiences with others. I believe I display vision and strategic understanding of the housing sector and I can motivate and inspire others within the industry.

I am extremely driven by my role in social housing and found an area which fires me up. I have a positive mind set when it comes to change and challenges within the sector and truly believe what I do makes a difference to these customers lives and very grateful for the amazing opportunities available working at River Clyde Homes.

I often attend housing conferences (both national and local) and events and would use these opportunities to network and encourage others to believe in the work they do in the sector and to share their success.

I can do this now as this past couple of years, and the things I have learned have built my confidence, and sometimes I feel as though I am bursting to share my knowledge. There are “lessons learned” galore.

With a century of experience equipping housing professionals with the skills they need to do the brilliant work they do, we can help you make the most of the new housing apprenticeships – whatever stage of the journey you are at.

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